Tag Archives: health

As electronic cigarettes continue to make ground saving customers money and offering a viable alternative to all the health ills and negatives that come with tobacco, on an individual level they have been beyond groundbreaking and positive. However, on a much larger scale, in regards to public health, the question has presented itself as to whether alternative cigarettes can save governments money, and have a major affect on the population’s health as a whole. Can they?

The answer is yes. By eliminating a large amount of the health care costs that come as a result of smoking, as tobacco is the cause of many deadly diseases, and by halting a great amount of productivity loss as a result of tobacco-caused illness, e-cigarettes possess a great amount of promise. They have the potential to save the American government a massive amount of money.

In 2009, a comprehensive study was performed to assess the costs of tobacco cigarettes which the government, both state and federal, were dealing with. Costs included productivity losses, and a great increase in the cost of healthcare to cover illness and disease related to smoking. In this time period in which the study was done, the US spent $185 billion alone in productivity losses. Healthcare related costs, paid for by the government, totaled in at $116 million. These figures are not, by any means small, and considering the economy is still recovering from the Great Recession, this is a massive amount of money that can be allocated elsewhere.

Rather astounding, don’t you say?

The CDC, also known as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, estimates that Medicaid covers approximately 68 million people in the US. Of that population, 52% are smokers. And considering the aforementioned cost of government healthcare being spent on cigarette-related disease and productivity loss, the number of smokers who are covered by Medicaid is indicative of how much money is being spent paying for tobacco caused illness.

Just using these figures alone, is enough to know that by offering the public a convenient option with smokeless cigarettes, therefore illuminating tobacco usage, the government can predictably spend less money on smoking-related diseases, illnesses, and medical issues. Bottom line, e-cigarettes have the potential to save the government hundreds of millions of dollars; just some food for thought in terms of spending!

More and more people are switching to electronic cigarettes every day because more and more people are concerned with their health. While there has been no approval publicly by any major health organizations endorsing electronic cigarettes as a valid alternative to traditional tobacco, many users are confident, based on their own intelligent judgement, that vapor is simply better than smoke.

While we are in no position to make claims on either behalf, what we do know is that smoke is extremely detrimental to the body. It has a negative effect on most major organ systems, can contribute to a wide variety of deadly cancers, and can greatly reduce the quality of life for those who smoke by compromising health. Cigarette smokers are acutely at risk for a wide range of cardiovascular risks, including aneurysms, coronary heart disease, atherosclerosis, chest pain, high blood pressure, damage to the arteries, peripheral arterial disease (PAD), stroke, and heart attacks. Also of importance, smoking can impede the lungs and one’s ability to breathe, putting smokers at risk for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), chronic bronchitis, emphysema, pneumonia, tuberculosis, and asthma.

For smokers who are looking to better their lives, and avoid the risks smoke (not nicotine) put them in line for, switching to electronic cigarettes enables an incredible way to have nicotine without the smoke. Vapor smoking allows smokers to continue the lifestyle they enjoy, with an alternative that allots all of the same experience and pleasure, without touching tobacco.

Millions have made the switch, and millions more will do so as a result of the benefits of vapor. As an e-cig brand who has been at the forefront since the earliest days of this industry, we could not be more proud of all the smokers out there who make the conscious choice to better their lives by choosing to live without smoke. Vapor cigarettes offer endless amounts of choice, variety, and excitement for smokers who want an alternative. We are beyond passionate about what these products are doing for people’s’ quality of life!

One of the things we are happy this industry is seeing a lot of these days is evidence-based research. It can be confounding that studies such as the unfairly biased, seriously erroneous item published in the New England Journal of Medicine could have been released so inconclusively by a major and reputable publication, however to the benefit of the industry, and everyone involved, there is plenty of other research emerging, from trusted sources, with all the facts included.

It can be very frustrating to a movement such as the e-cigarette industry, when misconstrued reports, half-truths, and twisted facts are published as truth. We want the truth, as do the millions of people who use these products, as well as the millions of other smokers who are interested yet waiting for more research and evidence.

Luckily, there have been several excellent recent studies that dispel many of the common myths of electronic cigarettes, while debunking some of the fraudulent truth-bending, and helping to promote the need for more evidence-based research.

One of the best examples of such is a 2014 study that included 1300 college students in America. Its purpose was to examine the myth of electronic cigarettes being touted as a gateway to smoking. It’s findings? That e-cigarettes do not lead to traditional cigarette usage.

Another great example is a study published by Oxford Journal, that examined exactly what could be found in secondhand vapor. The study was conducted by 6 doctors performing a variety of different tests to obtain their data. The results concluded that some nicotine was present (in trace amounts, precisely), however there were no combustible toxins.

In addition, there have been many other studies published, as well as those in the works, aiming to make clear how electronic cigarettes affect the body, especially in regard to the heart and lungs. One recent study done by The International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health found that vaping does not affect the heart. Another study done by researchers in Greece found that e-cigarettes did not negatively affect the lungs either.

So what this means for the e-cigarette industry, is that while these studies may be coming slowly, and research may be in its infancy, evidence is emerging in favor of e-cigarettes and proving the negative speculation wrong.

You’ve probably heard discussion on the effectiveness and responsibility of the e-cigarette industry regarding teen usage. It has long been argued that electronic cigarettes are problematic, and attempting to market to underage users with the promise of sweet and candy flavored liquids. How true is this, though, in the grand scheme of reality?

Tobacco lobbyists have been touting that e-liquid flavors are a danger to teens because they make smoking more appealing. They have attempted to use this argument for years now, claiming that by having access to “fun” flavors, teens will be more likely to start using electronic cigarettes. However, it’s really important to take a look at teen usage of cigarettes and e-cigarettes, and understand what is really encouraging youth to get into nicotine.

A study recently published by the journal Nicotine and Tobacco Research looked further into this subject, and the findings were certainly interesting. They cast a much-needed light on the subject, and examined teen smoking from a variety of angles. What was essentially concluded is that teens are not getting into smoking, with either traditional cigarettes or electronic, due to the enticement of flavors. Most get into smoking cigarettes out of curiosity, rebellion, and to match their peers’ perceived edginess. So even though the multitude of flavors appeals to adults looking to switch to electronic smoking, they view the products as the alternative to the conventional. On the other hand, teens are not swayed by the flavors, and most who turn to vaping are doing so in an attempt to stop smoking traditional cigarettes.

Yes, it is true that young people like fancy and sweet flavors. So do adults. And in that light, it must be taken into account that most teens who begin smoking, are not being lured into the tobacco trap with candy-flavored cigarettes. They are using traditional tobacco and menthol cigarettes, both of which are acquired tastes. So what is the problem with electronic cigarettes? Considering they appeal more to adults, and those who are not exactly interested in starting up the habit, it is simply a falsehood to say they are being marketed to impressionable youth.

An e-cigarette news story broke last week and it sent the industry into an uproar. Surely, in the past few days, you’ve encountered headlines denouncing electronic cigarettes, claiming a new “study showed they produce more formaldehyde than traditional cigarettes. Scary headline, no doubt, however the article that was published in the New England Journal of Medicine was incomplete, and did not take into account a variety of factors.

What wasn’t covered in this article were several instances of truth. Dr. Konstantino Farsalinos, one of the foremost researchers involved in the study of electronic cigarettes, published a counter study, analyzing and discussing the omissions, as well as the realistic way such electronic cigarette devices would actually be used.

Here is our take on the subject matter, because as leaders in this industry, this is not a story we take lightly. Scientific research is one thing, blatant misinformation is another, and electronic cigarette users, as well as the mass public, deserve the truth.

The study published discussed the use of a variable voltage e-cigarette device, the brand make and model were not disclosed, and whether or not formaldehyde was released in the aerosol of the vapor during use.

Set to two different settings, during the lower of which: 3.3 volts (6-7 watts), vaporizing 5ml of liquid at 4 seconds per puff, no formaldehyde was produced. When switched up to 5 volts (14-16 watts), using the same limit of 4 seconds per puff, the device produced a tremendous amount of formaldehyde hemiacetals in the vapor.

What the study did not discuss was that formaldehyde hemiacetals are not the same as true formaldehyde; they are compounds consisting of formaldehyde and alcohols. There is also no evidence to support them to be toxic, or carcinogenic like formaldehyde.

The study also did not consider how users typically use variable voltage devices. Yes, they have the capability of running at such a high volt, however most users do not use them as such because it causes such high heat, that the atomizer will overheat, producing foul tasting vapor, that the majority of users would not be able to stomach. Set to a normal setting, 3.3 volts, no formaldehyde hemiacetals are produced, and this is the typical setting most users are using, and therefore not exposing themselves to unnecessary or unwanted formaldehyde.

Case in point: carcinogens can be found everywhere; from children’s toys (remember the uproar over lead contained in toys from China?), polluted air, to overcooked meat (hello, BBQ-lovers!). It is more important than ever to be an educated consumer. When it comes to electronic cigarettes and formaldehyde in vapor, read between the lines!

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Nicotine is a highly addictive substance derived from the tobacco plant. Our products do not treat, diagnose, or cure any disease, physical ailment, or condition. If you are allergic to nicotine or any combination of inhalants, if you are pregnant or breast-feeding, or if you have a heart-condition, diabetes, high blood pressure or asthma, consult your physician before using IVG nicotine products. Just like traditional tobacco cigarettes, IVG Electronic Cigarettes are not approved by the American FDA.

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*This statement has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.